Buffalo Based Blues Band “Freightrain” and Special Guests Prepare for Christmas Jam and 7th Annual Toy Drive for Native American Youth

“Preparations for the annual event this year will be held at the Armor Inn Tap Room in Hamburg, NY are underway. This is the seventh consecutive year the charitable occasion has taken place."

Each year around the same time, the toy drive is held to collect new and unwrapped toys for on & off territory Native youth. “The event started out with my assisting a friend, Darryl Tonemah, after which I continued on my own and expanded in our area” states Robert Parker, the organizer of this year’s festivities. The toys collected at the drive are personally distributed by Parker to four Territories and two Family Service Agencies in Western New York. There is no cash cover charge to attend the event just a new or unwrapped toy must be donated.

The event coordinator, Buffalo, NY resident and award winning musician Robert Parker p/k/a Robert “Freightrain” Parker is a Hall-of-Fame inductee, who recently received an award for Best Blues Album of the Year at The Indigenous Music Awards. He, along with his band Freightrain & The Union will be performing at the Christmas Jam along with a special guest appearances by 13 year old guitarist Jax Jordan and more TBA, Sarah Parker will be opening the show.

States Parker, “monetary donations are also welcome. Through our Celebrating Elijah Foundation, we use these donations to provide instruments and lessons for Native Youth. We just recently identified a young Native boy who will become a recipient. We will provide him with a guitar, amp and music lessons.”

The seventh annual toy drive and the monetary donations received through the Celebrating Elijah Foundation make for a truly altruistic event in Hamburg and all are invited to participate.